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Tardiness is the #1 complaint against Beloit Modular Home Remodeling Companies

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Over 280 reviews forBeloit Modular Home Remodeling Companies from people just like you.

F

"My house burned to the slab 18 months ago. I hired a GC who hired this plumber. It seemed to go very well at first.

was personable and met" ...More our timelines. We found out approximately 2 months after moving in that our tankless water heater was not installed properly. It stopped working and

refused to come back out and fix it- he stated he had not been paid in full by the GC, he was still owed 6,800 and he doesnt work for free, warranties do not apply until he is paid in full. I paid the GC in full per our agreement,sadly- this is not the only subcontractor that did not get paid by this GC. All others have returned in good faith to complete thier work but

. I contacted the water heater manufacturer Renai, and am filing a claim through them as well as the plumber board. Renia says they teach every plumber how to install thier units and this one is WRONG. The water heater was installed directly under a dryer vent so it sucks in lint and was not vented properly. I have been without hot water more with hot water for 4 months.
When the house was almost finished,

handed me his business card and said to contact him if we needed anything. When I didn almost 2 months later he refused to return.

-Gail T.

F

"The owner had already been out to review the situation so he could order parts only after promising to come with several no shows. When he finally arrived the weather" ...More was extremely bad and although I had asked him to look at several items the only issue he appeared comfortable with attempting to resolve was the plumbing valves and fittings. After completing the repair he did not even take time to check and see if his work resolved the issue.
Upon asking about other items that needed attention he decided that I needed to figure those items out myself. One was a faulty thermostat. He left after receiving full payment by check. Within roughly forty-eight hours while showering a hose blew off the water heater. I contacted his office(Wife) and stated that there was still a problem and we no longer had no hot water. She stated that it would cost me another service call for her husband to come out no earlier than a week later. When I became more insistent she proceeded to tell me that my attitude was poor and hung up on me.
It is my contention that this service company and parts department are under-qualified and charge excessively due to the circumstances of each client. The owner's wife even informed me that other dealers would not deal with me because I was too demanding.
Please stay clear of using this

Repair service. I have since taken my unit to Fort Worth and had a more pleasant experience.

Angie's Answers

An itemized list / cost breakdown, more often than not is used against the contractor when it is shared with other builders who will then beat it.

Good contractors use good people, and good people cost more. Just the cost of having the appropriate insurance / bond can be the difference between winning a job or losing it ot a 'lower bid'.

It is the rule of three; there is Good, Cheap and Fast. You can have any two: Good and Cheap, won't be Fast; Good and Fast, won't be Cheap; Cheap and Fast, won't be Good!

When comparing bids, it isn't the cheapest or the 'nicest' person you should select. You should understand why there is a large price difference (it shows there are gaps in your design program or what you have asked for specifically, which means there may be arguments later). If most of the bids are in line, and one is way high or way low, you want to know why before dismissing or selecting them.

There are two sides to this and everyone will have an opinion. I can tell you that from a contractor's point of view a customer that is up front with me is much easier to work with and the entire experience is much more pleasurable to all parties involved. If you treat your contractor like there's always something to hide from him expect the same in return. A good contractor is going to take your budget into consideration and make recommendations based on that budget. When possible, he's going to estimate the work 10-20% under your target to leave room for the unexpected. With any remodeling work, there's always the possibility and likelihood that there will be surprises that will have to be added such as mold damage, improper existing framing, etc. The cushion allows room for the project cost to grow without going over your budget. If no problems are found and you decide to spend that money some of the final finishes can be upgraded or other projects added.

Another good arguement for disclosing your budget to your contractor is to save you both some time and aggrevation. You may have a $10,000 budget and want $30,000 worth of work. Wouldn't you like to know your desires aren't possible before you get your hopes up or spend money on design fees for plans you can't afford? Likewise, the contractor doesn't want to put in the hours of calculating the estimate only to find out it was all for nothing or that he has to refigure for a much lower cost after pricing what you specified.

Be fair and honest with your contractor if you expect the same respect in return. You'll get a lot more out of it with the right contractor.

Herlonginc's answer stated that it is not the contractor's job to pay for materials and labor to do the job. I say baloney - a reputable, established contractor has the funds (or a business operations line of credit) to "carry" the job between interim or partial payments, each of which should be keyed to completion of distinct easily measured mileposts in the job, and for a homeowner I would say should be in not more than 20% increments for jobs exceeding a week or so. For shorter jobs, then an initial payment, 50% completion, and completion would be normal. His cost of carry funds is part of his cost of doing business, and is figured as part of his overhead.Bear in mind when he is buying materials and paying labor, his materials he typically pays for on a 10-30 day invoice, and his labor typically a week or two after they work, so he is not really "fronting" that much money if you are giving him weekly or biweekly interim payments, on a typical residential job.

If he does not have the funds to buy materials (excepting possibly deposit on special-order or luxury items, which still typically are 10-30 day invoiceable to him) and hire personnel then he is a fly-by-night operation, and he should not be bidding that size job. You should never (other than MAYBE an earnest deposit of not more than the LESSER of 10% or $5000) let the payments get ahead of the approved/inspected work progress - typically payment should be 10-20% BEHIND the progress, with at least 10% retained at the effective end of work until final inspections and completion of the final "punchlist".

That promotes rapid continuation of the work, discourages the all-too common nightmare of contractors taking on more work than they can handle so they leave your job for weeks or months to go work on someone else's job (frequently to start that someone else's new job so he can get the job), and does not leave you out a tremendous amount of cash if he does not finish and you have to hire another contractor to finish the job. Remember, if you have to hire a new contractor to finish the job, he will charge you a lot more than the original bid to finish someone else's unfinished mess.

This may seem cynical, but having started in the construction business about 50 years ago and seeing the shenanigans that a lot of contractors pull you cannot be too safe. You have to remember contractors are like any other people - I would say maybe 10% are outright crooks, another 25% or so will pull a fast one or overcharge if the opportunity presents itself, maybe 30% will do the work but not any better than they are forced to, about 25% are good conscientious reputable workmen, and the last 10% or so are really spectacular - conscientious, fair, and efficient craftsmen. This top 35% are the only ones you should have bidding in the first place. Therefore, only get bids from long-term reputable firms (so you shake out the marginal short-timers with less experience and also generally less ability to finish the job on budget and schedule), only those that have good RECENT references, and preferably with excellent word-of-mouth recommendation from people you know and trust. That way, you are starting right off with the cream of the crop, so hopefully whichever one bids low should be a good choice.

NEVER start with bids, then check the references of the low bidder - why even consider a vendor or contractor who you do not have faith in from the start ? Get references and short-list you possibles BEFORE you ask for bids.

Low bids - that is another matter - commonly the low bidder is NOT who you want, especially if he is significantly lower than several others, which might mean he is desperate for work, made a math error, or did not correctly figure the entire scope of work. You want a reasonable bid with someone you connect with and trust - that is worth a lot more in the success of the job than the absolute lowest bid.

You should always get a set of print and pull a permit when remodeling you home. It is a good thing that you want to be involved in your project. I do have some reservation about the electrical work. There is a lot at risk with doing the work yourself. If the house burns down you will never get the insurance money, unless your a certified electrician. Now of days 90% of home fires are blamed on electrical problems because the insurance company is to lazy and cheap to investigate the true problem. Also find out if the city you live in will allow you to perform the work. Make sure you coordinate your subs to have the proper time and space to perform their job. You don't want people working on top of each other. If you order all you materials make sure everything is there before you start your project. Have your subs check for proper and full items to be installed. Make sure every sub has a working set of prints. Make sure you have all the demo done before your subs show up to work. Schedule your plumber first, do any final framing or electrical work while you wait for inspection. Electrical inspection next followed by framing, insulation, and wallboard. All subs must get a final inspection on the job before you (the GC) can call in your final inspection.

The answer depends on your contract. If you do not have a written contract, you need to begin documenting everything. Begin by using a calendar and marking the days the contractor started, worked, you had to speak to him/her about the work, etc.

Next photograph the work you feel is sub-par. If work has been corrected, photograph it now to have a record of its condition. If you have any "original" or "before work began" pictures get those together, too.

If you do have written contract, see what it says about warranties, complaints, failure to finish / comply, etc. Holding the money may end up with the contractor taking YOU to court for the funds - you cannot just hold the money. You need to document in writing what is wrong, what you expect to happen (be specific) and when it should happen by. A good contract will explain if and how money can be held, how the arbitration or complaint is filed, etc.

You should also invite another contractor to come in and bid the work to finish the job. They can confirm the quality of the work and give you a price to fix / finish the job. This gives you justification for holding the funds and an option to finish the job.

If the contractor is not willing to fix the work or listen to direction, do not allow them back in the house. A judge will ask you why you let them continue to do work if you found it unacceptable. Take back the key or access to the building - you can also attempt holding any materials or tools as collateral if the cost of repair is higher than the amount owed. Again, document what you are holding, its estimated value (google or ebay search), etc.

Finally, in writing you should fire the contractor and state the exact reason(s). Document everything; if it is done in person after they leave make notes of what was said, agreed upon and disputed. If you are satisfied that what you have paid is fair compensation for the work done, make sure this is noted in the letter firing the contractor. If you feel money is owed, you will need to file a small claim in your local court. Include the documentation you made, notes, letters, etc. when you file your claim so the judge will have a copy of everything. Don't forget to contact the BBB.

Do not wait for the court date; go ahead and hire the other contractor and have the work completed. Bring this invoice to court with you (file it before the court date if you can). Bring photos of the finished work (again, file it with the court before the date if possible). You must show what good quality work looks like vs the poor quality work.

Otherwise it will be a your word against the contractor and you will most likely lose, (the contract is a promise to pay for work) or even if you "win" you will most likely split the difference between the argued amount of money. Also be prepared for the contractor to file a small court claim against you. Same process as above, except now you will respond to the summons with a copy of your stuff to defend your reason for holding funds instead of asking for money back.

Yes, you can ask for these items. Second Century Homes answered your question well - most contractors do not do a break down to prevent haggling on items that shouldn't be part of the discussion. People sometimes forget to allow the builder to make money. . . Builders also want the entire job, not the nickle and dime menu selected items - you may find the contractor says "Thanks, but no thanks" if you ask them to remove portions of the work.

The real question is why do you need this break down? If you are thinking you will do the demo yourself to save money, you can certainly tell your contractor this - but I would be willing to bet once you buy or rent the tools, haul the trash to the correct disposal dump (many trash dumps will not take home building materials anymore) and clean up / prep for the new work - you will have spent more and delayed the project more than just letting the professionals do it. Plus, do not be surprised when they still have to do additional demo work that you didn't know would be needed to complete the job, etc.

Also keep in mind that cutting portions of the work out of the job to do later is not a money saving move. You will find that the cost for the individual items go up when done seperately - the contractor has to come back multiple times, has to set the equipment back up, possibly pull seperate permits, schedule the work crew / subs, etc.

If you are asking for the break down to compare bids, then again, tell the contractors what numbers you want to see. If you are doing it because you feel the total price is too high, have a discussion with your contractor; they may be able to suggest ways to save costs, etc. Ultimately if you know the materail costs, and have the total figure, you can do a pretty good estimate of the percentage for labor and profit in the job.

It is your project and your contract, so you can ask for anything you want on the quote - just be clear on why you want the information so the contractor can work with you.

Mobile Home Remodeling reviews in Beloit

F

Rating

“

They showed up when they said they would. However, the quality of the work was shoddy. They finished the work in less than a day, which made me suspicious. I had an independent inspector come out to check their work and discovered that they didn't replace all the piers, did not secure the piers with new fasteners, but instead left old, rusty fasteners ...More and did not tighten them. Instead of replacing pier pads with pressure treated wood or cement they used 1" plastic pads with openings that allow moisture to reach the metal piers and cause rust again. Plus, they did not replace all the piers, sold us "marriage bars" which we did not need.
The work had to be redone at an additional cost of $4,500.”

- Linda M.

D

Rating

“

came on like gang busters in the beginning and as the damage was discovered worked with me to keep the costs in line. He charged me for time and materials because of the extent of the damage. He had a small crew that worked with him and at one point I could see straight outside throught newly installed studs. He was great ...More as far as ensuring the integrity of the building and replace the outside siding and installed new gutters. Because the entire side of the house was rebuilt, I had a window eliminated and had him install a new back door. The back door has been the biggest issue because that is where I had water coming in the house which alerted me to the problem from the get go. I eliminated a hallway window which was also having water issues - I am talking about water on the floor every time it rained from the back door and window. When he installed the back door, there was a problem with it being too big to open inside - the door hit the wall. So as a fix, he turned the door inside out so the plate went in the hall but the door would open out on to the porch. This alarmed me because I was thinking that a Mobile home guy would be able to get the appropriate door - but was pleased to have all the work being done. As the job progressed, the attentiveness of the contractor started to dwindle. He had a guy working for him that botched all of the interior paneling - gluing and nailing the paneling so it looked like it was wavy. After finishing the outside, installing the gutters, insulation, siding, and skirting - the inside was needing to be finished. This was the point where this company fell short. The paneling still looks like crap, the door leaks, the window was reinstalled crooked, trim was hastily redone, you can see outside in the crack between the floor and wall for a good 10 feet along the living room wall where he never sealed it, and due to the new weight of the wood, the house shakes and needs to be releveled.
I have gone back and forth with

constantly since completion in August 2014. This is February 2015.

has come over to look at what needs to be fixed, especially the back door which still leaks water every time it rains. He says he guarantees his work, but has failed on every level to remedy the finishing issues. He left some things such as molding around the windows that are two side by side 40 x 36" window that are now a good inch different in height. I said I would fix the molding because it was being rushed at the end and the workmanship was so poor. He did redo the paneling that the crew member messed up, but it still has a wave in it. I have asked him to fix the door and that I needed the house to be leveled. I was willing to pay him to relevel the house, but he never has come back. I still have a leaking door which is what I originally contacted him to remedy.”

- Susie C.

A

Rating

“

They did a great job. They explained to me all of the options for running the cable. The cable could only be run along the baseboard or outside. We chose to run it along the baseboard. They took the extra measure to hide the cable under the carpet. They also vacuumed up after they drilled and moved back the items that needed to be moved to give ...More them access to the closet. They made sure they tested the line before they left. They had some issues getting the cable to work. They took the time to check everything to understand where the issue was and did not leave until everything was up and running.
I would definitely use them again and would highly recommend them.”

- Lawrence Q.

A

Rating

“

called us back within 10 minutes of us placing a call to him. He arrived exactly when he said he would. He was professional and respectful. He even removed his boots when he entered our home. He determined the cause of the problem and was able to complete the repair quickly.”

- Kristy Y.

A

Rating

“

Provider showed up on time, did the work as described, and cleaned up appropriately. No

costs; no surprises. Also helped us find a roofer for an affordable price.”

- Carol C.

A

Rating

“

Satisfied. Arrived promptly. Performed service as expected. Provided full report and explanation of service.”

- Marilyn M.

N

Rating

“

He was very courteous and focused on his work. Did a meticulous job matching the texture to the patch
So it blended right in. He also cleaned up nicely after each day and left it looking better than before.
He was easy to reach and to work with throughout ”

- Jenny K.

N

Rating

“

Terrific jobs. We have had

do at least 3 different projects -- all were great quality, on-time, reasonably priced, and professional.

has shown up in middle of the night to help with problems (frozen pipes, due to loss of power/heat) that were not related to their work, and so they had no obligation ...More to help but did and saved the day -- that's

.
I have worked with many contractors over the years;

is at the top of the list and is our go-to guy.
We can't say enough good things about